Luiche

Luiche
Personal information
Full name	Luis García Martínez
Date of birth	20 August 1941
Place of birth	Alicante, Spain
Date of death	23 July 2024 (aged 82)
Position(s)	Right-back
Senior career*
Years	Team
1958–1962	Villena
1962–1964	Monóvar
1964–1965	Oliva
1965–1966	Calvo Sotelo
1966–1967	Ibiza
1967–1968	Eldense
1968–1971	Villarreal
1971–1972	Benicarló
1972–1974	Villena
Managerial career
1974–1975	Petrelense
1975–1977	Santa Pola
1977–1978	Almansa
1978–1979	Eldense
1980	Eldense
1980–1981	Albacete
1981–1982	Yeclano
1982–1983	Eldense
1984	Alcoyano
1985–1986	Nules
1986–1988	Villarreal
1988–1991	Castellón
1991	Sabadell
1992	Cartagena
1994	Castellón
1995–1996	Alcoyano
1996	Castellón
1998	Novelda
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Luis García Martínez (20 August 1941 – 23 July 2024), commonly known as Luiche, was a Spanish football manager and player who played as a right-back.

Career

Born in Alicante and raised in Villena, both in the Valencian Community, Luiche's professional inputs as a player consisted of 11 Segunda División matches with CF Calvo Sotelo in the 1965–66 season. During his playing career, he also represented Villena CF (two stints), CD Monóvar, UD Oliva, SD Ibiza, CD Eldense, Villarreal CF and CD Benicarló before retiring in 1974 at the age of 32.^[1]

Immediately after retiring Luiche took up coaching, being in charge of local side UD Petrelense. After managing Santa Pola CF and AP Almansa, he first arrived in Segunda División B, in charge of a club he represented as a player, Eldense.^[2]

In 1986, after spells at Albacete Balompié, Yeclano CF, Eldense, CD Alcoyano and CF Nules,^[3] Luiche was appointed manager of Villarreal in Tercera División. After achieving promotion with the latter in his first season and narrowly missing out promotion in his second, he took over CD Castellón in the second division.

Luiche achieved promotion to La Liga with Castellón in 1989, and remained in charge of the club until April 1991; despite being replaced by Lucien Muller, the club still suffered relegation at the end of the campaign. In June 1991, he was named manager of CE Sabadell FC in the second level,^[4] but was sacked in October after only one win in six matches.^[5]

Luiche then worked at Cartagena FC before returning to Castellón in February 1994, but being unable to avoid the club's relegation from the second division. After suffering another drop at Alcoyano in 1995–96, he subsequently managed Novelda CF also in division three.

Legacy

In May 2012, the city of Villena named their new stadium after Luiche.^[6]

Death

Luiche died on 23 July 2024, at the age of 82.^[7]

Honours

Manager

Castellón

Segunda División: 1988–89

References

^ "Luis García Martínez "Luiche" y su pasión por el fútbol" [Luis García Martínez "Luiche" and his passion for football] (PDF) (in Spanish). Villena. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
^ "Luis García "Luiche"... entregado al deporte" [Luis García "Luiche"... dedicated to the sport] (in Spanish). Villena Cuéntame. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
^ "Luiche fichó como técnico del Nules" [Luiche signed as manager of Nules] (in Spanish). El Periódico Mediterráneo. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
^ ""Luiche" ya es del Sabadell" ["Luiche" is already of Sabadell] (PDF) (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 16 June 1991. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
^ "Luiche, cesado en el Sabadell" [Luiche, sacked at Sabadell] (PDF) (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 8 October 1991. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
^ "El nuevo polideportivo municipal de Villena se denominará Luiche" [Villena's new municipal multi-sport stadium will be named Luiche] (in Spanish). Información. 19 May 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
^ Fallece Luiche, el entrenador del ascenso a Primera en 1989 (in Spanish)